The Apothecary Diaries - Maomao Voice Actress Aoi Yuki Delights Crowd with Taipei Souvenirs: “I Want to Do More Overseas Events”

A special retrospective screening event for Season 1 of the TV anime The Apothecary Diaries was held in Tokyo on the 15th. Appearing on stage were Aoi Yuki (Maomao), Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi), and Takuya Kirimoto (Lakan). Yuki, who recently attended an event for the series in Taipei, shared the souvenirs she brought back for her co-stars, drawing big laughs from the audience.

Looking back on the Taipei event, Yūki revealed that she performed a live voice-over solo. “I did live dubbing by myself the whole time. They projected the actual episode onto this huge movie screen while I performed the lines. It was terrifying. The visuals were so beautiful,” she said, recalling how overwhelmed she felt by the scale of the presentation.

At the same time, she was deeply moved by the fans’ passion. “The warmth of the fans felt similar to the enthusiasm we have in Japan. It really made me realize how much people in Taiwan love The Apothecary Diaries,” she shared. She also spoke excitedly about a large-scale pop-up shop at the event, saying the size and exclusive merchandise “sent my excitement through the roof.”

Otsuka added that he has felt the series’ global popularity firsthand. “Even when I’ve gone overseas for other projects and interacted with local fans, so many people have told me they love Jinshi from The Apothecary Diaries,” he said with a smile. “That was mostly within Asia, but it really made me realize that borders and regions don’t matter—people everywhere are genuinely enjoying the show.”

The trio also shared a humorous behind-the-scenes story about writing “This is poison” in Thai for a The Apothecary Diaries exhibition in Thailand, then double-checking the translation using Google to make sure it was correct. The conversation turned lively as they joked that next time they would like to attend an overseas event together as the “La clan” along with Jinshi.

The highlight of the segment came when Yūki presented the Taipei souvenirs she had picked out for her fellow cast members.

For Kirimoto, she chose rose-shaped gummy candies, referencing a difficult riddle involving roses that Lakan presented in the series. For Ōtsuka, she brought gummy candies shaped like frogs—a nod that fans immediately recognized—prompting a wave of laughter from the audience.

“When I saw the roses, I thought, ‘Oh wow, I have to get these for Kirimoto-san!’ And then I found the frog gummies,” Yūki said excitedly. “At that moment, my excitement just skyrocketed. I was so happy picking them out.”

She also gave Otsuka a Taipei-exclusive Maomao shoulder massager merchandise item. At the MC’s prompting, Ōtsuka immediately tried it out on his own shoulders, much to the crowd’s amusement. “This is hilarious! I just really wanted to see this image come to life,” Yūki said with satisfaction. Watching the Maomao-themed massager “hit” Jinshi’s shoulders, she added with sparkling eyes, “Maomao striking Jinshi’s shoulders… Oh! Is that why he looks annoyed in the illustration?”

About The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries is a mystery entertainment series set in an imperial court inspired by historical China. The story follows Maomao, a sharp-witted apothecary’s daughter with an obsessive fascination for poisons and medicine, and Jinshi, a mysterious and strikingly handsome eunuch. Together, they tackle a series of complex incidents unfolding within the palace walls.

Originally written by Natsu Hyūga with illustrations by Touko Shino for the light novel edition, the series has surpassed 45 million copies in circulation. The anime adaptation is currently streaming internationally, and production of a third TV season as well as a theatrical film sequel has been officially announced.

For more background on the series and its characters, see The Apothecary Diaries overview .

Source : ORICON NEWS